How To Help A Friend Who Has An Eating Disorder

February 26th- March 3rd is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. This week's guest bloggers are from Proud2Bme, the National Eating Disorders Association's new website for teens. Today's guest bloggers are Liana Rosenman and Kristina Saffran, founders of Project HEAL, an organization dedicated to raising funds for people who need eating disorders treatment.

When I was struggling with an eating disorder, I lost myself, I wasn't the Liana that my friends knew. People always told me to latch on to the things in my life and parts of myself that were unrelated to the eating disorder. That made sense, except for the fact that I felt like nothing, not even one small fraction of my life, was 'unrelated to my eating disorder.' Everything I could think of inevitably led back to mirrors, food, or weight. Essentially, I had to wipe my slate clean and restart.

If you have a friend who has an eating disorder, here are some tips for helping her get healthy:

Realize the compexity of her illness. The recovery process may take months or even years, and cannot be solved by simply eating more. Eating disorders are symptoms of something deeper going on, something inside. You can't make your friend stop the behavior, but you can listen, try to understand, and offer support.

Remind her of her strengths.Your friend is so much more than just someone with an eating disorder. Remind her of the things she's good at and help her continue to focus on them.

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Help your friend discover who she is, and who she wants to be. Having an eating disorder can become the only thing you think about. It's probably consuming your friend's every thought! Go to the movies, mall, or your usual hangout spot to get her mind on other things.

Be supportive. It's the most important thing you can do. Show your friend you believe in her. It will make a difference in recovery. There is no elevator to recovery; one has to take the steps. Remind your friend that you will always be with her through the journey. Be her biggest cheerleader!